So, I'm completely convinced that the system is broken with healthcare now. From my previous experiences with dealing with doctors and billing, it's always been known to me that insurance companies have the power to negotiate cheaper rates than you as a consumer could hope to achieve if you didn't have insurance, or chose to go to a doctor who hasn't signed up with your insurance plan. Generally, we're talking about some marginal increase compared to what the fee normally is. The insurance company may get away with your visit being $50 instead of the $85 your doctor charges. Or maybe $90 instead of the $150 you'd pay him without it.
So, fast forward to my appendectomy that happened about 6 weeks ago. I went to the emergency room. I had a lot of crap done to me. I'm incredibly thankful that everyone was there and literally saved my life. I was in shock and awe when the hospital sent me notice of the charges (just the hospital's portion, not the doctors) and they were billing over $25,000 for one my one night stay, my one (very well done) laparascopic appendectomy, all of the diagnostics, and everything that went along with that. My reaction at the time was "Damn...surgery is friggin expensive."
But today, I got the explanation of benefits from my health insurance. To cut to the chase, the $25,000+ bill was reduced to $2600 and some change, and (thankfully) I'm not responsible for any of it. I'm one of the lucky ones whose health insurance owns up to it, and paid the whole bill for my very emergency surgery. I'm just shocked that the hospital signs up to rates that are a tenth of what they would charge the average joe-blow off the street who can't afford health insurance.
The poorest of our nation can't afford health insurance, and they certainly can't afford surgery. We are a nation of quickly dividing classes, and I'm lucky enough to fall into one that protects me from the disasters that our system sets up (at least for now). I'm thankful, but I'm concerned. I'm alive, and I owe it to everybody who worked to pull out my appendix, because over 400 people die from appendicitis in our country every year. How many of them might be saved if they didn't fear a $25,000 hospital bill, and got to the hospital in time? And how many of them did, and are now bankrupt because of it. We can do better.
Monday, August 11, 2008
Tuesday, August 5, 2008
Return to Training?
So, since the last time I posted, JC, Steve, and I all completed the Ironman in April--JC and I in about 16 hours, and Steve about an hour faster than that. The conditions were bad with temps in the mid-90s and winds on the bike estimated to be upwards of 20 mph. The race had the third highest dropout rate in ironman history, so I'm proud to have finished--even though my time was slower than I would have liked.
After that, I wound up going to IGLA in DC for a swim meet, and decided to swim the sprints--I wasn't recovered from Ironman so I decided to err on the side of being in pain for shorter amounts of time.
A week after returning from DC, I got an ironman tattoo (pictured), and then a week after that I came down with appendicitis. Spent one night in the hospital and had a laparascopic appendectomy done. My return to training for Ironman Arizona in November is being drastically effected by this. It's been 4 weeks since the surgery, and short bike rides and short runs result in more stomach soreness than I think is probably good.
So, it's about challenging the abdomen, and then letting it heal. This weekend was a 15 mile or so bike ride, and Monday I was in pain. This morning feels all right--I'm not sure if I should try running or not.
Thursday, March 20, 2008
The Journey
I've just finished a 2 hour 50 minute run, which by itself, might not sound like that much of an accomplishment. I don't know what the hell I'm saying here--2 years ago, 2 hours and 50 minutes of straight running seemed unachievable to me, but that's not what I'm trying to get at. This run was on the heels of a half ironman done this past Saturday, and a 2 hour long brick workout done yesterday, along with a few other workouts tossed in for good measure during this week of training. My legs were sore and tired to begin with--at the beginning of the run, I found myself gazing down the LA river trail wondering how I would run out to the half way point and then turn around and run home. I had my bus pass in my pocket if I needed it to get home. I premedicated with Aleve just in case my knee decided to flare up on me. Somewhere, something inside of me took over to take my hand and press the start button and start shuffling my feet for what would be something like 14000 steps over the next 2 hours and 50 minutes. Maybe it was the same thing that used to get me to jump into an icy cold pool at 5:30 in the morning in high school--I don't know. I just know that I don't really remember much about the first couple of miles.
They say that Ironman is as much, or maybe more, about the journey you take in training for the race than it is about the day of the race itself. It steels your resolve--it takes whatever was going through your mind when you signed up for the race, and rips it to shreds, puts it through the food processor, and blends it up with some Accelerade to see if you can stomach it on a daily basis. It tests the very core of your determination, to see if the one question you have to ask yourself, is one that you have the right answer to--can you keep going?
Some days, it would seem that the answer is no--but the good thing about such a ridiculously long race, with such long training requirements, is that the "no" usually falls apart given a few minutes, or this morning, as it turns out, an extra hour. I woke up, with a feeling of procrastination on my mind--6:30 turned into time for coffee, for taking out the garbage, for making sure that I had the best breakfast possible before heading out on this run. 6:30 became 7:30, and then 8:30....before I knew it, I'd been up for nearly 2 and half hours and I wasn't quite ready for this run. Mix up some accelerade--what question got blended up in this batch? Do I have enough powergels and salt tablets to get through the run? Do I have enough sunscreen--I'm nearly out--just a tube of "facial" sunscreen--it'll have to do for my legs and arms.
When April 13th rolls around, I know I'll be ready on time--it's easy to have everything in line for a race--the hard part is being ready for each day of workouts--for always having on hand what's needed, or if needed, improvising. I don't know what that one day will bring, but in my mind, I've already won the journey.
This race has brought me solace in my life--it's not about the rat race of work anymore--other things are more important to me. My friends, my family, all of those people who touch my life, on a daily, or even a very infrequent basis--they all inspire me, and I couldn't have done all of this without them. So, I don't know that all of them will ever read this, but if they do--thank you for being there. You make me who I am.
--Drew
They say that Ironman is as much, or maybe more, about the journey you take in training for the race than it is about the day of the race itself. It steels your resolve--it takes whatever was going through your mind when you signed up for the race, and rips it to shreds, puts it through the food processor, and blends it up with some Accelerade to see if you can stomach it on a daily basis. It tests the very core of your determination, to see if the one question you have to ask yourself, is one that you have the right answer to--can you keep going?
Some days, it would seem that the answer is no--but the good thing about such a ridiculously long race, with such long training requirements, is that the "no" usually falls apart given a few minutes, or this morning, as it turns out, an extra hour. I woke up, with a feeling of procrastination on my mind--6:30 turned into time for coffee, for taking out the garbage, for making sure that I had the best breakfast possible before heading out on this run. 6:30 became 7:30, and then 8:30....before I knew it, I'd been up for nearly 2 and half hours and I wasn't quite ready for this run. Mix up some accelerade--what question got blended up in this batch? Do I have enough powergels and salt tablets to get through the run? Do I have enough sunscreen--I'm nearly out--just a tube of "facial" sunscreen--it'll have to do for my legs and arms.
When April 13th rolls around, I know I'll be ready on time--it's easy to have everything in line for a race--the hard part is being ready for each day of workouts--for always having on hand what's needed, or if needed, improvising. I don't know what that one day will bring, but in my mind, I've already won the journey.
This race has brought me solace in my life--it's not about the rat race of work anymore--other things are more important to me. My friends, my family, all of those people who touch my life, on a daily, or even a very infrequent basis--they all inspire me, and I couldn't have done all of this without them. So, I don't know that all of them will ever read this, but if they do--thank you for being there. You make me who I am.
--Drew
Tuesday, February 26, 2008
Can Daisy Run?
The answer is: NO!
Tried running this morning with my T/Th running partners but the back and left leg wouldn't cooperate, damn! Warmed up pretty well with stretches and exercises my physical therapist has given me, walked about 1/2 mile to the river trail (our normal routine) and then set off on an easy jog.
About 1/4 mile into it, my leg was really acting up (think bad cramps....) and then the lower back started to spasm. So just walked while the rest went on. They picked me up on their way back, so I walked about 4 miles.
Still not sure what I'm gonna do for April. Do the first 2 legs, skip the run or just collect the $150 and call it a day.
I guess the good thing is I'm not gonna do the surgery they were talking about before. May still take them up on the "big ass needle in the spine" but who really would want that!
Tried running this morning with my T/Th running partners but the back and left leg wouldn't cooperate, damn! Warmed up pretty well with stretches and exercises my physical therapist has given me, walked about 1/2 mile to the river trail (our normal routine) and then set off on an easy jog.
About 1/4 mile into it, my leg was really acting up (think bad cramps....) and then the lower back started to spasm. So just walked while the rest went on. They picked me up on their way back, so I walked about 4 miles.
Still not sure what I'm gonna do for April. Do the first 2 legs, skip the run or just collect the $150 and call it a day.
I guess the good thing is I'm not gonna do the surgery they were talking about before. May still take them up on the "big ass needle in the spine" but who really would want that!
Sunday, February 3, 2008
Surf City 1/2 Marathon - Feb 3, 2008
Surf City Inaugural Marathon & ½ Marathon
Super Bowl Sunday, February 3, 2008
It was with great anticipation and anxiety that I eyed the ½ marathon event, not so much based on the course or the distance, but the weather. Super Bowl Sunday was forecasting rain from 7 AM through evening. Fan-tas-tic!
Because the entry fees had already been paid and there is always running training to be done, I considered the event a “go”. I dug out my Honda rain poncho from a LA Marathon event from years past, some water repellent pants, some gloves and layers of upper body garments. I figured the shoes would be wet from the beginning, and there wasn’t too much to do about that.
Got up at 5-ish to the southing pitter patter sound of rain. There was still time to reconsider. Nope. I needed the running work out. A head cold was no excuse; the run must go on. Some coffee and a banana, bagel, smoothie and a Cold & Cough Alka-Seltzer later it was time to suit up. Out the door by 6:15 AM to meet up with IM Steve and Poppy Seed at a Starbucks midway to Huntington Beach, to carpool and hand over Mark’s unused bib number and timing chip. His now-recurring, annual birthday and back injury pain-a-polooza was in full bloom. Mr. Man was sidelined from the run, totally dry and snoring soundly at home in a nest of blankets—lucky Mark. Did I mention “dry”?!
Poppy (“Ms. Seed, if you’re nasty”) opted to bail on the Surf City Rain Trot, and IM Steve decided to spend the “dry time” with her. So, off I went into the rain, to Huntington Beach, with an unused bib & chip. Surely, Amy Ko-ko-puff would want it. She was running “bandit” and this way she could actually finish the race AND get an inaugural medal! What could be better?
Well, Ko-ko-puff decided to get the Hell out of the constant rain and go home to someplace, oh I don’t know, someplace DRY. ^&%$ it, I thought. I’ll run with two timing chips. Lol Indeed, Mr. Man would actually have a time for this event after all.
The rain wouldn’t let up, so I jumping into an early Corral. I figured the sooner I started the sooner I’d finish or collapse roadside, hacking and wheezing with a bout of pneumonia—whichever was to come first. The rain pelted us for most of the event—sideways. The wind whistled and gusted. I saw houses flying into the air and livestock go airborne. Sort of Dorothy meets Twister. Now, where did I put those ruby red running slippers? But I digress.
The best part though was probably when we came around the bend on top of a hill on Summit Drive and found ourselves facing directly into the gale force winds and driving rain. I think I can sum up my initial and lasting thoughts for those next couple miles as “YOU HAVE GOT TO ME F^&KING KIDDING ME!” But soon enough we were out of that neighborhood and the course spit us back onto a semi-flooded PCH. Just 5.1 miles to go! Nothing too exciting after that point. Although the marathon course was parallel to us on the bike path. I made eye contact with a woman running the marathon, and gave her a smile and acknowledgement as if to say “Good for you…I’m glad it’s you running the marathon instead of me, sister, cause this just sucks a lot!” She smiled back as if to say “You ½’ers have it easy; try running 26.2 in this monsoon.” Yeah, it must have sucked to be her. ; p
The Finish Line couldn’t come soon enough. Once across the finish line, we were herded through a lengthy maze. I didn’t see any finish photos to be taken, but that’s OK. I looked like a half-drowned homeless person who had been caught in a concrete flood channel.
I figured if I was going to find any of my peeps (SFR, GGW or otherwise) they would probably be in THE BEER GARDEN! So, I found my way into that fenced in area where beers flowed. I grabbed one and was both satisfied with being done and half nauseous and working very hard not to throw up the sudsy libation. How embarrassing would that be?! Lol No sign of any of my peeps, but there was a soaking wet boy in running shorts cruising me. Even I’m smart enough to know that this must be a half-deranged, opportunist looking for a hot shower and a lifetime of playing house wife. I was having NONE of it!
I exited the cold and wet festivities and drag our soaked selves back down PCH towards Main Street. I was parked on 10th Street so I had a nice, c-c-c-c-c-cold walk back to the car. Then it was a quick ride to HB Steve and Brian’s for brunch with the boys and fellow GGW runner, Drew. Once dry and in fresh clothes, it was wonderful to have brunch with the boys and relax.
After hearing about the event and the relentless weather, Mr. Birthday Man, said he would have likely bailed too. Lol I’m glad it’s over, but I’m glad we did it. Go GGW!
jc
Super Bowl Sunday, February 3, 2008
It was with great anticipation and anxiety that I eyed the ½ marathon event, not so much based on the course or the distance, but the weather. Super Bowl Sunday was forecasting rain from 7 AM through evening. Fan-tas-tic!
Because the entry fees had already been paid and there is always running training to be done, I considered the event a “go”. I dug out my Honda rain poncho from a LA Marathon event from years past, some water repellent pants, some gloves and layers of upper body garments. I figured the shoes would be wet from the beginning, and there wasn’t too much to do about that.
Got up at 5-ish to the southing pitter patter sound of rain. There was still time to reconsider. Nope. I needed the running work out. A head cold was no excuse; the run must go on. Some coffee and a banana, bagel, smoothie and a Cold & Cough Alka-Seltzer later it was time to suit up. Out the door by 6:15 AM to meet up with IM Steve and Poppy Seed at a Starbucks midway to Huntington Beach, to carpool and hand over Mark’s unused bib number and timing chip. His now-recurring, annual birthday and back injury pain-a-polooza was in full bloom. Mr. Man was sidelined from the run, totally dry and snoring soundly at home in a nest of blankets—lucky Mark. Did I mention “dry”?!
Poppy (“Ms. Seed, if you’re nasty”) opted to bail on the Surf City Rain Trot, and IM Steve decided to spend the “dry time” with her. So, off I went into the rain, to Huntington Beach, with an unused bib & chip. Surely, Amy Ko-ko-puff would want it. She was running “bandit” and this way she could actually finish the race AND get an inaugural medal! What could be better?
Well, Ko-ko-puff decided to get the Hell out of the constant rain and go home to someplace, oh I don’t know, someplace DRY. ^&%$ it, I thought. I’ll run with two timing chips. Lol Indeed, Mr. Man would actually have a time for this event after all.
The rain wouldn’t let up, so I jumping into an early Corral. I figured the sooner I started the sooner I’d finish or collapse roadside, hacking and wheezing with a bout of pneumonia—whichever was to come first. The rain pelted us for most of the event—sideways. The wind whistled and gusted. I saw houses flying into the air and livestock go airborne. Sort of Dorothy meets Twister. Now, where did I put those ruby red running slippers? But I digress.
The best part though was probably when we came around the bend on top of a hill on Summit Drive and found ourselves facing directly into the gale force winds and driving rain. I think I can sum up my initial and lasting thoughts for those next couple miles as “YOU HAVE GOT TO ME F^&KING KIDDING ME!” But soon enough we were out of that neighborhood and the course spit us back onto a semi-flooded PCH. Just 5.1 miles to go! Nothing too exciting after that point. Although the marathon course was parallel to us on the bike path. I made eye contact with a woman running the marathon, and gave her a smile and acknowledgement as if to say “Good for you…I’m glad it’s you running the marathon instead of me, sister, cause this just sucks a lot!” She smiled back as if to say “You ½’ers have it easy; try running 26.2 in this monsoon.” Yeah, it must have sucked to be her. ; p
The Finish Line couldn’t come soon enough. Once across the finish line, we were herded through a lengthy maze. I didn’t see any finish photos to be taken, but that’s OK. I looked like a half-drowned homeless person who had been caught in a concrete flood channel.
I figured if I was going to find any of my peeps (SFR, GGW or otherwise) they would probably be in THE BEER GARDEN! So, I found my way into that fenced in area where beers flowed. I grabbed one and was both satisfied with being done and half nauseous and working very hard not to throw up the sudsy libation. How embarrassing would that be?! Lol No sign of any of my peeps, but there was a soaking wet boy in running shorts cruising me. Even I’m smart enough to know that this must be a half-deranged, opportunist looking for a hot shower and a lifetime of playing house wife. I was having NONE of it!
I exited the cold and wet festivities and drag our soaked selves back down PCH towards Main Street. I was parked on 10th Street so I had a nice, c-c-c-c-c-cold walk back to the car. Then it was a quick ride to HB Steve and Brian’s for brunch with the boys and fellow GGW runner, Drew. Once dry and in fresh clothes, it was wonderful to have brunch with the boys and relax.
After hearing about the event and the relentless weather, Mr. Birthday Man, said he would have likely bailed too. Lol I’m glad it’s over, but I’m glad we did it. Go GGW!
jc
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